Impact of a Nutrition Education Program on Food Sales in Restaurants
JENNIFER ANDERSON l AND MARY HELEN HAAS2
IDepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition 2School of Occupational and Educational Studies, Colorado State University,
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
INTRODUCTION
In 1983 the National Restaurant Association (NRA) requested that Gallup pollsters conduct a survey of people's eating habits in order to explore consumer interest in nutrition. The findings suggested that the public's interest in nutrition was high, and that six out of ten consumers had recently changed their eating habits at home (1). More fruits, vegetables, and whole grains were being consumed, and the intake of animal fat, sugar, and salt had decreased to a level consistent with the U.S. Agriculture and Health and Human Services Departments' Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2). It is of particular Significance to the restaurant industry that 40% of the adults surveyed stated that they sustained these dietary changes when eating out. Other surveys have also indicated that nutritional concerns are a factor involved when deciding to eat out, and that patrons would order low fat, low cholesterol, low calorie foods if available (3-6).
Health concerns are predicted to have a major influence on food purchases for the foreseeable future (7). Stockmen, commodity groups, and food industry councils have become cognizant of the role their products play in the choices made by consumers in restaurants and supermarkets. For example, the Beef Industry Council has announced its commitment to the concept of healthy diets and lifestyle (8). In response to the public's demand for leaner meats, stockmen are raising leaner cattle and hogs, and restaurants are adding these products to their menus. Although food items vary with the type of restaurant or the cost of the meal, the consumer demand for what is perceived as nutritious food affects the spectrum of food service establishments (9).
Thus, the restaurant's primary role of providing food has taken on a new dimension during the past decade, as consumer concerns and evolving eating patterns have combined to create new responsibilities and opportunities for owners and managers of restaurants. Restaurant owners have begun to feel increasing consumer pressure to provide food items that are healthful and to offer information that assists customers in their choice of menu items. In addition, the marketing value of offering healthful alternatives is being recognized by restaurant managers. The result has been a growing trend across the country to introduce and market a variety of nutritional and healthful menu items that reflect the changing attitudes of consumers and the precepts of the Dietary Guidelines (2).
In light of the new concern with health issues and dietary recommendations, nutrition information programs should be made available to people within the scope of their daily lives before a diet-related disease manifests itself symptomatically. The methods and potential impact of this approach have been well-illustrated by the sales campaigns of the food industry (10). Promotion of a food's beneficial effects, such as the lowering of serum cholesterol by soluble fiber, has proven to be an effective marketing strategy. In the same way, dietary intervention programs can focus on modifying food choices at the point of selection, either at home, at the supermarket, in the restaurant, or in the company cafeteria.
Research studies that have adopted this approach have reported successful results. For example, the Stanford Three Community Study used such tactics to encourage a lower consumption of saturated fats and cholesterol (ll). A community focus was also maintained by the Minnesota Heart Health Program to effect changed behaviors (12). These studies emphasized that to achieve maximum influence on a particular behavior, an educational program should be conducted in the setting where that behavior is likely to occur (13). Thus, a program to encourage the selection of healthful food items is best
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conducted where food selections will actually be made. If such an informational program can produce positive changes in the knowledge and attitudes of its clientele, then changes in food selection should follow. This concept of sequential impact has been well documented by Preston as the "hierarchy of effects" (14).
A review of existing nutrition education programs f<;>i use in restaurants revealed that the consumer advocacy group, Public Voice for Food and Health Policy of America, had explored and reported on some of the earliest and most creative efforts to assist consumers in dining out healthfully (17). Other nutrition education programs that targeted restaurants included the American Heart Association's (AHA) Creative Cuisine and Eating Away From Home programs (18, 19), the Minnesota Heart Health Program, Dining alla Heart (7), and the AHALos Angeles Affiliate program modeled after Creative Cuisine.
The growth of food sales in restaurants has been steady, and the portion of the food dollar spent on meals away from home is expected to continue to rise (15). With more money being spent on eating away from home, the restaurant industry will become more competitive. Despite the trend toward providing healthier food items, restaurateurs find it difficult to satisfy the full spectrum of customers, from those who want lighter, lower fat, lower cholesterol foods to those without such concerns. One solution is to offer customers the opportunity to choose healthful food by identifying on restaurant menus items that meet the current nutrition and health gUidelines (16). The challenge is for restaurateurs to acknowledge and respond to nutritional concerns and interest in an effective way. This, in turn, demands the development of innovative techniques that might include using the menu to deliver the nutrition information (1).
The program Dine to Your Heart's Delight was developed as a menu-oriented nutrition education program. To evaluate the program's impact, sales of items that met the program's criteria were to be measured before and after the introduction of the program in a variety of restaurants. If sales increased on items identified with a heart decal on the menu, the study's findings could be used to encourage members of the restaurant industry to incorporate nutrition information on menus. If sales of such items showed a decrease, a public information campaign would be necessary to try to influence customers to take advantage of the nutrition information available at cooperating restaurants.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MATERIALS
The materials developed for Dine to Your Heart's Delight include:
1) A Guide for restaurant owners and managers. The Guide includes criteria for establishing whether or
October 1990 233
not food items meet the program guidelines. The suggested criteria were measured for reliability by three experts in the field of food service management and/or dietetics. These experts evaluated three separate menus to determine whether or not the criteria yielded consistent results. Reliability was also assessed by using a computer analysis of the food items to determine if the criteria yielded similar results and if the goals of the program could be met without requiring a detailed computer analysis. Guidelines for the following categories of entrees were specified:
a) Meat: 8 oz. raw meat, trimmed of all visible fat, or no more than 6 oz. cooked meat. Bake, broil, grill, roast, stir fry, or saute in broth or with a small amount of approved oil (no more than 1 tsp. per portion). Frying is not an acceptable method of preparation. Ground beef must contain no more than 15% fat, and specific cuts of lean meat are recommended.
b) Poultry: Similar guidelines to those for meat, but removal of the skin is recommended, and additional cooking methods are suggested.
c) Fish: Poaching is added to the cooking guidelines listed for meat. Shrimp must be limited to 3 oz. per portion.
d) Dairy products: Low fat milks are listed, and amounts of cheese are specified (112 oz. of regular cheese or 1 oz. oflow fat cheese).
e) Fats and oils: Should be poly- or monounsaturated; approved oils are listed.
f) Appetizers: Low fat vegetable dip, relish! vegetable plate, etc.
g) Salad and salad dressings: Oil-based dressings to use accepted poly- or monounsaturated oils.
h) Soups: Non-creamed with low sodium base. i) Breads: Yeast breads or rolls of any variety;
no egg, cheese, or butter-crust breads; no croissants.
j) Vegetables: All kinds steamed, baked, or stir fried. Maximum of 1 tsp. approved oil; if canned, low sodium.
k) Desserts: Examples include fresh fruits, frozen low-fat yogurt, fruit ices, angel food cakes, etc.
I) Special foods with further limitations, such as egg yolk (limited to 1/4 per portion), condiments, nuts, etc.
The Guide also includes suggested preparation methods, recipe modification techniques, and suggestions for cooking, all of which are designed to help the restaurant qualify for the program. An important section of the guide includes information on the training of waiters and
234 Anderson et al. I FOOD SALES
Table 1. Summary of data from nine restaurants reporting pre- and post-program data.
Restaurant No. of Total Sales Type Menu Itemst Before
lThis column lists the number of menu items approved for inclusion in the program for which pre-program sales data were reported. For the paired t-test, the number of degrees of freedom is one less than the number of menu items. *This result denotes significance, since p < 0.05. **This result denotes significance, since p < 0.01. §Too few items with accurate pre-program sales data to be included in the analysis.
waitresses to help them understand the program and be able to promote it effectively to customers. These pages in the Guide are intended to be copied by the owner for employee training.
2) A checklist to be used for approval of menu items was developed and tested for content validity by a panel of six Registered Dietitians. On this simple form, the restaurant manager names the entree item, specifies preparation methods, and lists the amounts of key ingredients, so that a qualified professional can judge whether or not a menu item qualifies for inclusion in the program. Given this information, the evaluator can estimate the calorie, fat, cholesterol, and sodium content of a dish. If modifications are necessary, these are specified on the checklist, and the restaurant's staff advised accordingly.
3) A Patron's Guide to Heart-Healthy Dining explains the program to customers. This brochure is intended to help the waiter or waitress answer questions and to provide nutrition information for the restaurant's patrons.
4) Table tents provide nutrition information at individual tables. Simple in design, these table tents invite the customer to try the menu items that are marked by the heart decal.
5) Heart decals were used to identifY those menu items that were low in calories, fat, and cholesterol, and were suitably modified in sodium content. Some items, such as ham, that met the program criteria for calories, fat, etc., but that were naturally high in sodium, were identified with the heart decal. However, a qualifYing phrase describing the sodium content was also added to the menu.
A team of six Registered Dietitians reviewed all materials for content validity, and their suggested changes were incorporated. Subsequently, a six-month pilot test of the program was conducted, after which a brochure
describing the program was developed and printed. In addition, materials for use by volunteers, contract agreements between restaurants and AHA of Colorado, letters introducing the program, and news releases were written.
In order to qualifY for the program, a restaurant had to develop or identifY at least four entrees (in the case oflimited menus, 25% of the entrees offered), all of which met the program guidelines. Additional items such as spreads, low-fat milk, desserts, soups, salads, breads, appetizers, and vegetables could be submitted as additional heart decal-designated items, but could not be submitted in lieu of entrees.
EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM
Beginning in 1986, 167 restaurant managers were contacted, some through a first class mailing from a list provided by the Colorado Restaurant Association and others by volunteers of the AHA of Colorado. The restaurant managers who responded positively received specific instructions by mail on how to complete the restaurant checklist. This was followed by either a telephone contact or a visit to verifY information or to assist with completion of the checklist. A qualified professional (Registered Dietitian or trained Extension Agent) reviewed the completed checklist to determine if the submitted food items conformed to the program criteria. Upon acceptance of the food items on the checklist, a contract was sent to the restaurant owner. Upon receipt of the signed contract, the AHA of Colorado provided menu decals and program materials, and indicated that an evaluator would be contacting the restaurant manager to request sales information.
A special effort was made to secure three types of restaurants: fast food, cafeteria, and menu dining res-
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Table II. Opinion survey questions and summary of responses from 53 restaurant managers.
Question 1. In your opinion, could any changes in the sales recorded above be attributed to anything other than the Dine to Your Heart's Delight program (such as changes in menu, change in price, weather changes, etc.)? If yes, what?
Summary of responses - The main factors that might change sales were listed as promotions and seasonal flux.
Question 2. How many entree items are there on your menu? Summary of responses - Range = 5 to >
100, median = 15. Question 3. What changes have you made on your menu
as a result of Dine to Your Heart's Delight? Summary of responses - Changes were
made to conform to program guidelines or follow the program principles, such as reducing sodium content by using low-sodium soup bases, soy sauces, and seasonings other than salt.
Question 4. Did you offer the following items (skim milk, 2% milk, low calorie dressing, low-fat cottage cheese, margarine) before and/or after the Dine to Your Heart's Delight program was in use?
Summary of responses - Four reported offering low-fat milk, lower calorie/fat items after the program was in use.
Question 5. Has there been any expense or increased effort involved in offering Dine to Your Heart's Delight?
Summary of responses - The major expense or effort reported involved labor to test new recipes or affix the heart decals.
Question 6. Have you had any problems with offering Dine to Your Heart's Delight?
Summary of responses - Two restaurants cited training staff as a problem. A training videotape was suggested as a helpful addition.
Question 7. In general, have your customers commented on Dine to Your Heart's Delight? Include specific comments if possible.
Summary of responses - Customers' comments were very favorable.
Question 8. In general, would you say your employees are favorable, unfavorable, or indifferent?
Summary of responses - Employees' comments (chefs and wait staff) were generally favorable.
Question 9. Do you intend to continue using the program? Summary of responses - All of the man
agers reported that they would continue with the program.
Question 10. Have we supplied the materials, information, and help necessary? Any additional comments?
Summary of responses - All of the managers reported that they had obtained the materials, help, and/or information needed.
taurants. Fifty-three restaurants were involved in the study. Of these restaurants, twelve were menu dining establishments, four were cafeterias, and thirty-seven were classified as fast food restaurants. The opinion sur-
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vey section of the evaluation form (see Table II) was completed by the managers of all 53 restaurants. Postimplementation sales data only were received from eight of the restaurants (five menu dining, two cafeteria, one fast food), while the managers of nine restaurants (seven menu dining, two cafeteria) provided both pre-program and post-implementation sales data. Managers cited confidentiality of sales information, insufficient time for record-keeping, or their decision to develop new menu items to meet the program guidelines as reasons for not providing all of the requested information.
On a data collection form, the restaurant manager provided sales information for heart-labeled items for the two-week period prior to program implementation and for the four consecutive weeks after implementation. The length of the evaluation period was the same for each restaurant, but implementation dates varied according to the date each manager signed the contract.
This evaluation period was designed to avoid seasonality effects, thereby minimizing menu selection based on seasonal appeal. The collection of data at weekly intervals allowed the researcher to identifY any novel effects and provided information over a substantial period of time. To reduce the possibility that restaurant managers would reprint their menus and raise the prices of selected items, the heart decals were designed to be placed directly on an existing menu.
ANALYSIS OF THE SALES VOLUME DATA
Six restaurants had six or more entrees approved for heart labels and provided pre-program data. For those six restaurants, paired t-tests were performed to determine the significance of the difference between average weekly sales of heart-labeled entree items in the twoweek period prior to the implementation of the nutrition education program and in the four-week period after the program began. To stabilize the variance, the paired ttests were performed utilizing the square root of the average weekly sales figures rather than the means themselves. Data from the three restaurants with fewer than six heart-labeled entrees that reported pre- and postimplementation sales information are also presented in Table I.
RESULTS
A total of fifty-eight items qualified for the heart decal in the nine restaurants reporting both pre- and postprogram sales data. These items are categorized by type in Table III. Sales of 52 of these items increased in the four weeks after Dine to Your Heart's Delight was implemented, while sales of four items remained the same and sales of two entrees decreased.
236 Anderson et al. / FOOD SALES
Table III. Number of heart-designated entree items (n = 58) by entree category in relation to sales changes for nine restaurants reporting pre-program sales data.
Beef Poultry
Sales increased 11 9 No change in sales 0 1 Sales decreased 1 0
The managers of the eight restaurants from which preprogram sales data were not obtained were asked whether, in their opinion, the use of the program had increased sales of the heart-designated food items. Seven of the eight responded that the program had positively affected sales. Since the manager of the eighth restaurant (a fast food restaurant) could not release detailed sales information due to company policy, the same qualitative question was asked of the head of the firm managing this fast food chain. The program was perceived as positively affecting sales in that instance also.
Responses to the opinion survey portion of the evaluation were obtained from a total of 53 managers (this figure includes the 17 managers who also furnished sales data). The data from this survey were tabulated and are summarized briefly in Table II.
The only information obtained from all of the 169 Colorado restaurants that were initially contacted was an indication of interest in the program. Of the total sample consisting of 157 menu-dining facilities, ten cafeterias, a 36-restaurant fast food chain and a single-unit fast food operation, only two of the menu dining facilities expressed a lack of interest.
DISCUSSION
According to a recent review (20), there are few an-swers to questions such as:
a) Should restaurants provide nutrition information? b) If so, how should such information be presented? c) How will patrons perceive the information? d) Will such information affect the patrons' choices? e) What impact will such efforts have on restaurant
sales? This study endeavored to address these questions by implementing and evaluating a nutrition education program in Colorado restaurants. It is clear that the restaurant industry is interested in providing nutrition education information to its customers. The use of educational materials in a restaurant and the designation of an approved item on the menu appear to have been an effective means of delivering nutrition messages to patrons. Restaurant managers were pleased that the nutrition concerns of their customers could be addressed by offering this program. However, other questions arose, and the
Combination/ Vegetarian
Fish Salad Dishes
17 8 7 0 1 2 0 1 0
numerous challenges in working with the restaurant industry became readily apparent. Unanticipated problems caused a marked reduction in the amount of data that could be collected, and resulted in only nine restaurants providing both pre- and post-program sales data.
It was not anticipated that the program would stimulate a complete menu change or a reprinting of the menu before the program was implemented. Reprinting and menu revisions, however, resulted in program delays as new menu items were created to meet the guidelines. No record of previous sales existed, of course, for such new items. Staff turnover and changes in management occurred frequently, and either delayed the start of the program or prevented it from being offered. The sudden removal of managers who were intent on using the program made for a much slower and more difficult implementation than had been initially envisioned. In addition, it could not be assumed that a signed contract or the mailing of materials meant that the program was actually operating or that the guidelines were being followed. Economic issues often took precedence and necessitated a concentration of efforts on hiring employees or renovating the restaurant, rather than implementing a nutrition education program.
Nevertheless, the present work shows that it is possible to offer a nutrition education program for restaurants that can be easily incorporated into an existing operation. The Dine to Your Heart's Delight program allowed restaurant managers to use their existing menus, thus minimizing cost. The establishment of criteria and guidelines allowed for easy assessment of a menu item's acceptability without requiring a copy of the actual recipe. This was appreciated by chefs and managers who pride themselves on their creative dishes, yet desire confidentiality of the recipe.
In addition, the present work demonstrates that research studies are possible in the restaurant milieu, since the testing period employed in this study was adequate to note changes in sales and to measure the effectiveness of nutrition education efforts. In fact, securing managers' cooperation for a longer period of time would have been extremely difficult, and the six-week period proved to be uncomfortably long for some restaurants. However, some menu dining restaurants used the evaluation data as a marketing tool and may, in the future, be willing to provide long-term information.
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The attitude of the manager or owner of the restaurant was the most important factor determining the success and acceptance of the program among the staff. Waiters and waitresses were key to success in the dining room. In cases where the staff had been trained to understand the program's guidelines and approved menu selections, the customers reacted very favorably. The training of wait staff has been shown to be an aspect of dining programs that requires improvement (21). In general, managers reported that restaurant staff members were favorable toward the program (see Question 8, Table II).
Careful control of the implementation is extremely important, and is strongly recommended for future studies of this type. Monitoring of the program by telephone calls to the manager and/or visits to the restaurants at regular intervals are important in maintaining such control. In the current implementation of the program, restaurant patrons are given pre-addressed and stamped post cards with specific questions listed regarding the program's implementation.
Response bias must also be considered in a study of this type. It is possible that the managers who made the effort to return the evaluation forms were enthusiastic about the program, and thus were more likely to present positive responses. Along similar lines, a novelty effect may have influenced customer selections, since customers may decide to order an item with a heart decal for curiosity's sake, and not because of any possible health benefit. However, as sales were monitored over a four week period, efforts to account for any novel effect may have been reasonably successful.
Future research in this area is warranted and should be conducted to measure the potential impact of nutrition education on the sales of food in restaurants. To improve the study design, it is recommended that researchers use changes in sales as a percentage of total sales to account for volume estimates and seasonal flux. While it is possible to obtain accurate sales data for each menu item, this does not account for overall changes in business volume. The data collection form should allow information regarding total sales volume to be recorded. Studies to determine if the acceptance of nutrition education programs is dependent on the type of eating establishment in which they are offered would be helpful. For example, patrons of cafeterias in health care facilities may be more receptive to such program efforts than patrons of business cafeterias. Research to determine customer satisfaction and studies to see whether such nutrition education programs are more effective in rural or urban areas could also be desirable. The results of such studies would allow time and resources to be targeted to the area where acceptance is greatest.
The challenge for restaurant owners and managers is to acknowledge and respond to the nutritional concerns of consumers. This, in turn, demands the development of innovative techniques, such as using the menu to de-
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liver the nutrition information. The next step will be to build consumer awareness that accurate nutrition information is readily available on restaurant menus. Nutrition educators must be able to provide such information to help individuals make informed choices about the roods they select. In addition, people need to understand how a restaurant meal can fit into their overall health goal. With careful planning, nutrition education can be provided in restaurants, with positive results for both the restaurant owner and the customer. If we are to successfully educate the public on nutrition, all avenues to reach the consumer must be utilized. The restaurant industry is amenable to assistance. It is now up to the nutrition educator to vigorously pursue such channels, so that the health of this country's citizens may ultimately be improved.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Financial support was provided by the American Heart Association of Colorado. Funding for the design of the new program materials was received from the Colorado Beef Council, Inc. In addition, support has been received from Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, and the Colorado Department of Social Services Office of Aging and Adult Services.
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1 National Restaurant Association, Current Issues Report. Nutrition and foodseroice. NRA, Aug., 1983.
2 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Nutrition and your health: Dietary guidelines for Americans. 1980. Second edition 1985. HG Bulletin 232.
3 National Restaurant Association. Consumer attitude and behavior study: How consumers moke the decision to eat out. August, 1982.
4 Food Marketing Institute. 1988 Trends. p.43. 5 Manoff, RK. Potential uses of mass media in nutrition programs.
Journal of Nutrition Education 5:125, 1973. 6 Farquhar, J.W., N. Maccoby, P.D. Wood, J. Alexander, H. Brei
trose, B.W. Brown, W.L. Haskell, A.L. McAlister, A.J. Meyer, J. Nash, and M.P. Stern. Community education for cardiovascular health. Lancet 1:1192, 1977.
7 Mittelmark, M.B., RV. Luepker, D.R Jacobs, N.F. Bracht, R.W. Carlaw, RS. Crow, J. Finnegan, R.H. Grimm, RW. Jeffery, F.G. Kline, RM. Mullis, D.M. Murray, T.F. Pechacek, C.L. Perry, P.L. Pirie, and H. Blackburn. Community-wide prevention of cardiovascular disease: Education strategies of the Minnesota heart health program. Preventive Medicine 15:1-17, 1986.
8 Zifferblatt, S.M., C.S. Wilbur, andJ.L. Pinsky. Changing cafeteria eating habits. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 76(1):9-14, 1980.
9 Preston, 1.L. The association model of advertising communication process. Journal of Advertising 11:2, 1982.
10 Haas, E. and P.B. Kelly. Nutrition and the American restaurant. Public Voice for Food and Health Policy. September, 1983.
11 National Family Opinion, Inc. Tastes of America. Restaurants and Institutions 93:11, December, 1983.
12 Light and healthy. Restaurants and Institutions 96:12, June 11, 1986.
13 Consumer reports on eating out share trends. Eater Occasions by Food Item. National Purchase Diary. November/December, 1983.
14 Special Report: America's changing diet. FDA Consumer. October, 1985.
238 Anderson et al. I FOOD SALES
15 Preston, 1. L. The association model of advertising communication process. Journal of Advertising 11:2, 1982.
17 Eating away from home. American Heart Association, 1982. 18 Eating in style in 1985. Beef Industry Council, 1985. 19 The eat healthy trend. Independent Restaurants pp. 42-49, July,
1984.
20 Carlson, B.L. and M.H. Tabacchi. Meeting consumer nutrition information needs in restaurants. Journal of Nutrition Education 18(5): 211-214, 1986.
21 Paul, P.M., M.A. Novascone, B.C. Ganem, and P.B. Wimme. Dine to your hearts content: An assessment of the program in Virginia. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 89(6): 817-820, 1989.
Nomination For Awards
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CLINICAL NUTRITION, INC.
The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc. is pleased to invite nominations for awards of the society. Nominees need not be members of the society and nominations can be made by anyone. Forms are available from the society office, ASCN, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814. The deadline for receipt of nominations for awards to be given in 1991 is November 15, 1990.
The McCollum Award is given each year to a clinical investigator generally perceived as currently a major creative force, actively generating new concepts in nutrition, and personally seeing to the execution of studies testing the validity of these concepts. A cash award and inscribed plaque are provided by the National Dairy Council.
The Robert H. Herman Memorial Award is given each year to a clinical investigator whose research work has contributed importantly to the advancement of clinical nutrition in areas particularly involving the biochemical and metabolic aspects of human nutrition. A cash award and inscribed plaque are provided by the Robert H. Herman Memorial Fund established by the Society and Mrs. Yaye Tokuyama Herman.
The NATIONAL DAIRY COUNCIL Award for Excellence in Medical/Dental Nutrition Education is to be presented in recognition of an outstanding career in medical/dental nutrition education. This award is being presented for the first time at the 1991 annual meeting ofthe society. The nominee's efforts should be widely recognized and have had a national or international impact. Nomination will depend on acknowledged excellence in nutrition teaching or nutrition education research that extends beyond the local institution and that includes innovations in medical/dental education. A cash award and inscribed plaque are provided by the National Dairy Council.
DIETARY GUIDELINES TO BE REVISED
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will release the third edition of Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans in the fall of 1990. A Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee of 9 prominent nutrition scientists and physicians, chaired by Dr. Malden Nesheim of Cornell University, has recommended that the basic concepts of the second editions seven guidelines be retained, but has proposed more positive ways of presenting them. The Committee's proposed text for the bulletin presenting the guidelines contains more specific food selection guidance than the second edition. Single copies of the Committee's report are available from the Human Nutrition Information Service, USDA, Federal Building, Room 325A, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782.
